THE Wexford Foxhounds, who could, so easily, have advertised an open at their spring meeting in Ballinaboola last Sunday, instead staged a winners of three which provided owners and trainers with an opportunity to avail of a graduation system which is underused in Ireland.

Six horses were entered, of which three ran, and the race was won by the youngest horse in the field, the five-year-old Winged Leader, who, having landed a maiden and a winners of one on his two previous outings this season for the Donnchadh Doyle yard, was having his first start for David Christie.

The Derrylin trainer, who is always prepared to travel when spotting an opportunity for his charges and, at Ballinaboola, could ensure the services of Barry O’Neill, is set to move the bay up to open company for his next run before aiming him at the hunters’ chase at Down Royal on St Patrick’s Day.

Winged Leader, who now runs in the colours of north coast couple John Hegarty and Jennifer O’Kane and was bred in Co Clare by Michael Coughlan, is the first winner and just the second runner out of the unraced Supreme Leader mare Classical Beauty.

From the family of Classical Charm, Winged Leader had been purchased as a foal by Kevin Ross Bloodstock on behalf of his brother Gerry’s Limekiln Stud.

RAIDER

Although the five-year-old geldings’ maiden winner at the same meeting was bred in Co Westmeath by Alan Ross and ran in the colours of his Co Wexford trainer Liam Kenny, Rapid Raider spent some time in Co Antrim.

The good-looking son of Golden Lariat was purchased as a foal at Tattersalls by Galgorm’s Stephen Byers – a man whose judgement has garnered many successes in the show ring – and sold by him to Kenny at the same venue in August 2017.

The bay is the first of three recorded foals (all by the Tullaghansleek Stud-based Golden Lariat) out of the Court Cave mare Golden Court, a half-sister of the one-time Northern region stalwart Ten Poundsworth (by Orchestra) being out of the four-time winner, Rush For Gold.